By taking action — even if it’s neither rational nor likely to be successful — they can at least be seen to have done something.If they stand and wait until the ball is kicked and then fail to stop it, they feel worse because of their inaction; and others are far more likely to criticize them for not appearing even to try. It’s better to try a poor action than try a better — but seemingly passive — response if both fail; even though the “inactive” response is more rational and based on a better likelihood of success.

In today’s business world, action is preferred over the alternatives and is more likely to result in forgiveness when a mistake is made. You can always say that you tried. The person who does nothing is doubly damned: once for the mistake and again for not “doing something.”This urge to action — to get things done — is more emotional than rational. “Wait and see” risks your credibility and reputation, even where it can be shown to be the optimal course.

Go to the source to read the rest if you are interested in economics,or…football or both…

wu wei

Sometimes no action is the best action!

have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room.
Blaise Pascal

music

In business no action means no business and no business means zero chance to survive. I am a businessman and I think most probable I will take a chance to strike it big but I must lessen my chance if I miss. I am a football fan too and I have to ask whether the striker is right or left footed. And since football is a team sports, I have to ask my coach for advice. And since most people were right footed, I will go to my left. Good article. Thanks.

I think we all agree here,we all would act-even if not acting would give a better result-for fear that we would be criticized for our "inaction".That's exactly what the experiment/article says.I am a football fan too and till now I have to admit that I criticized goalkeepers for standing,I didn't know they had better chances,my problem is how will I explain that to my father,we usually watch football games together

In the politics of the "war on terror", the choices we have are manufactured for us by the media.
"You are either with us or against us."
Unilateral decisions is what the US is all about now. Countries like Iran played no part in their fate.
Iran at present is playing no part in their fate, as you can see by how the media ignores their pleas and the proofs that they are not building a nuke.

if you choose to make no choice you have already made a choice

if you choose not to act, that is not an action but a choice. a choice is not an action.

Did we(the majority of the citizenry) have a choice in our countries actions post 9/11?
How about in Vietnam,Grenada, Panama,Lebanon,Cambodia,Laos,Haiti,Guatemala,Cuba,Honduras,Jamaica,Somalia,Philippines,Iran,? The list goes on.

There are some interesting comments there about a variety of topics.
I found the article, despite its somewhat more limited focus, to be interseting too, and particularly rich in its description of the irrational fears of condemnation and 'failure' that may commit people to gratuitous busyness (wrapped in a narrative of controlled purposefulness) which not only wastes time but may result in an outcome less propitious than doing nothing.

Just think of the American work environment. You work and if there is no work, you pretend to have something to do.It's that or be spoken to or worse.
The company has you by the tail for as long as you work there.
There is very little democracy associated with employment besides the rights that groups of workers have fought for over time. But unions and workers guilds are very hard to keep afloat nowadays.Look at the bad wrap they have with the media.

You can be fully paralyzed in bed and choose to die.
But you can't move to kill yourself

I can choose not to act

An action is a movement
A choice is a decision

ah...,? this should be pretty clear

I'm done with this. You can win if that is your desire. Perhaps I AM Imaginary and only part of someone elses dream.